How To Make Espresso

Low Price Guarantee
Free Super Saver Shipping
One-Day Shipping

How to Make Espresso

Not only does espresso taste good, but it also smells good. Imagine that coffee house smell of brewing Italian coffee roast filling your own home; imagine not having to run to your favorite coffee house to enjoy that invigorating shot of Java, think of how much money you can save once you learn how to make espresso.

Learning how to make the perfect espresso goes a long way; not only can you enjoy it as a shot but espresso is the base of most Italian coffees. It is the first step that you need to make before you can enjoy your home made cappuccino, and other variants of Italian coffee.

Before we start, you would need special equipment and the correct coffee beans. Making an espresso cannot be pulled off with just any coffee machine, nor would it taste right with any old coffee beans.

Materials:

Before you can learn how to make espresso, you would need an espresso machine, make it an investment and find the best one that you could afford, check our espresso machine reviews so you will have a starting point; be prepared for the cost as good espresso machines can be well over a hundred dollars. Espresso is a special kind of brew so you would also need special kind of beans, don’t worry, these are not magic beans and you need not trade a couple of cows for them. Espresso usually uses Arabica beans which are available in groceries or coffee houses like Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, Caribou Coffee, Coffee Beanery or Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf among others. Make sure you buy the good kind; bad beans often result in bad espresso. Only the freshest and best quality Arabica beans should do, the better your coffee beans are, the better your espresso will be.

Espresso is derived from the Italian word meaning express since it is made very quickly compared to other kinds of brews. The process may be quick but it is not simple. The reason why there are special machines just to make espresso is because it needs to undergo a certain process; the water used to make espresso must pass through the grounds under a certain amount of pressure, the temperature needs to be 190 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter, there are specific timings that can only be pulled off with the right kind of machine and skills borne out of experience.

A grinder is also necessary. Freshly ground beans taste better, simply because the flavor is fresher; the rules of cooking apply, the fresher the ingredients, the better the flavor of the dish. You can either borrow or buy your own grinder. The Italians usually prefer a fine ground so wheel grinders are preferred over blade grinders. Blade grinders produce inconsistent grounds and they generate heat that may alter the taste of the beans. Opt for a burr grinder, because it uses opposing wheels that produces finder grounds, but they are significantly more expensive than blade grinders.

For good measure, get espresso cups. You can use any cup but special smaller cups made specifically for espresso are better since they hold the standard 1.5 ounce espresso.

Preparation:

Now we will learn how to make espresso after all the materials are complete. There are many variables in making an espresso and the value of each may vary depending on the machine you use. Hence, making the perfect espresso is not an overnight skill; it will take a little time for you to perfect it since you also need to get to know your machine.

Before you grind the beans, know the coarseness you machine requires, this is essential because grinds that are too coarse will result to a watery espresso. If it is too fine, the water will not run through it as it can clog your basket; this can result to a burned coffee. If you do not have a grinder yet, you can have your beans ground where you purchased them. But of course, as mentioned before, freshly ground beans every time you make espresso give a big difference. Ground beans lose their flavor soon after they are ground.

The coffee machine you have purchased will always have instructions on how to make espresso, including measurements and such. Usually, 7 grams of finely ground coffee is needed for every 2 ounces of water to produce one shot of espresso. In regard to the pressure that needs to be applied, some machines will apply pressure on the grounds for you, but tamping the grounds lightly before inserting them is always a necessary step.

Follow the steps that your machine requires. The perfect espresso runs out easily like “warm honey”. The color should be a redish/orange/brown color that gets slightly lighter towards the end of the extraction. The crema or foam should make up 10-30% of the final espresso in the cup. The espresso cup should be warmed because a cold cup will instantly make the drink go cold and spoil the drink.

Other factors to remember in making an espresso is tamping, pressure, temperature and extraction time. If you fail in any of these, don’t worry, because you can still keep learning on how to make espresso by focusing attention to these factors, familiarity with your machine and lots of practice.